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Attorney-Advisor

Employer
USAJobs
Location
Baltimore, Maryland
Closing date
Nov 19, 2019
Duties

Summary

About the Position: This position is located at the Baltimore District, Corps of Engineers, located in 2 Hopkins Plaza in downtown Baltimore, Maryland. The 2 Hopkins Plaza building is within walking distance of the historic Lexington Market and Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Parking can be found in nearby garages and Mass Transit in the form of the Light Rail and MTA buses is available.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

  • Utilize a comprehensive working knowledge of various federal procurement statutes, implementing regulations.
  • Review and evaluate results of sealed bidding process and pre-and post-award documentation on negotiated procurements and modifications and furnished recommendations and comments thereon.
  • Serve as trial attorney in procurement matters before the agency boards of contract appeals.
  • Review Privacy Act and Freedom of Information Act request and issues opinions on release of information and associated matters within the designated area of support.
  • Serve as the district subject matter expert in ethics, procurement fraud laws, regulations, and procedures.
  • Interview and prepare witnesses, prepare all pleadings, discovery documents, motions and briefs.
  • Conduct depositions, the hearing, and fully participate in any post-hearing events.
  • Extend assistance in all pre-trial, trial, and appellate matters, such as assisting in depositions, interviewing and preparing witnesses, drafting pleadings, motions and briefs, and trying cases upon request.
  • Experience in providing legal advice and written reviews in the functional areas of ethics or procurement fraud.
  • Plan and execute assignments in specialty areas, conferring with the supervisor on unusual problems and unfamiliar matters.
  • Provide advice to District staff elements, higher headquarters, Contracting Officers and others regarding complex and controversial contract formation and administration problems on construction, service, supply and Architect-Engineer contracts.
  • Conduct legal review for sufficiency of all solicitations and Requests for Proposal or Quotation expected to insure that the specifications conform to regulatory guidance, are clear and free from significant defect and are achievable.
  • Evaluate the results of sealed bidding process and pre- and post-negotiating memoranda/documentation on negotiated procurements and modifications and furnishes recommendations and comments thereon.
  • Participate in litigation related to contract claims, disputes and appeals, which routinely involve complex factual and legal issues, such as differing site conditions, impact, delay, acceleration and suspension claims.


Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
13

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
  • This position requires you to Obtain and Maintain a valid state-issued Drivers License.
  • This position requires Business Travel required up to 10% of the time.
  • This position requires you to Submit a Financial Disclosure. Statement, OGE 450.


Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and experience requirements described below. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document .

The following Minimum Qualification Requirements must be met before applicants are eligible for further consideration: Applicants will be evaluated to determine if they meet the minimum qualification requirements and on the extent to which their application shows possession of the following requirements.

A. Education : Successful completion of a full course of study in school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and have a professional law degree (LLB or JD).

AND

B. Bar Membership : Currently a member in good standing (as defined by the pertinent bar) of the bar or a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

AND

C. Experience: Two or more years of professional legal experience, acquired after being admitted to the bar and which commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of this position, OR graduated at the top 25 percent of my class or obtained an advanced law degree (Master of Laws (LL.M), and have one year of professional legal experience which commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of this position and this experience was acquired after being admitted to the bar.

NOTE : Must provide copy of bar membership ; provide transcripts to show degree. Failure to provide this will result in an ineligible rating.

Notice of Veterans Preference Information: There is no formal rating system for applying veteran's preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of the Army considers veteran's preference eligibility a positive factor for attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veteran's preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documents (e.g., DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active duty) to their submissions. Although the point-preference system is not used, applicants eligible to claim a 10-point preference must submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed. (SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preference and the required supporting documents, is available from the Office of Personnel Management Website at www.opm.gov.

You may claim military spouse preference. Documentation to support military spouse preference must be submitted at time of application.

You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

- Official law school transcripts must be submitted prior to accepting the position. These transcripts must show successful completion of a full 3-year course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) leading to a professional law degree (LLB or JD) that included a major field of study or specific course requirements. College and Official law school transcripts (Current Corps of Engineers Attorneys need not submit).

- Only degrees from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education are acceptable to meet positive education requirements or to substitute education for experience. For additional information, please go to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and U.S. Department of Education websites at: http://www.opm/gov/qualifications and http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html

Additional information

  • Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
  • You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
  • Two year trial/probationary period may be required.
  • Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
  • This position requires you to submit a Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE 278) or a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE450) upon entry, and annually thereafter.
  • Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
  • If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
  • This is a Career Program (CP) 56 - Legal position.
  • You may claim military spouse preference.
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
  • Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
  • Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.
  • When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable. Visit https://www.gsa.gov/cdnstatic/FTR%20Bulletin%2018_05%20Relocation%20Allowances_0.pdf for more information.
  • If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application .
  • Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations.
  • Permanent Change of Station (PCS) allowances may be authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations and an agency determination that a PCS move is in the Government Interest.


How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your résumé and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If, after reviewing your résumé and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.

Basis for Rating: Qualified candidates will be assigned to one of three quality categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified and Qualified. Veteran preference eligibles are listed ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category.
  • Best Qualified. Candidates in this category possess exceptional skills and experience to exceed well above the minimum requirements for the announced position.
  • Highly Qualified. Candidates in this category possess good skills and experience above the minimum requirements for the announced position.
  • Qualified. Candidates in this category meet the minimum experience requirements for the announced position.


Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Not Required

Drug test required
No

Required Documents

The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment. A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist (External) .

As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.

1. Your resume:
  • Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
  • If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
  • For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.e., HRS per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete and you may not receive consideration for this position.
  • For additional information see: What to include in your resume .
2. Official law school transcript and an official statement of relative standing in class. Photo static copies of documents are acceptable when applying but certified documents must be furnished for final consideration if selected and before entering duty, (Current Corps of Engineers Attorneys need not submit).

3. Good Standing Certificate: Official Certificate showing employee is in good standing with the Bar (Current Corps of Engineers Attorneys need not submit). Official certificate showing that you are a member in good standing of the bar. Certificate must be dated within three months of the date the application is submitted. Copies of Bar Cards are not acceptable replacements for the certificate and/or letter. This statement, and this statement ONLY, may be submitted either online or via email within 10 days after the announcement's closing date. Please email the document to Ms. Zobeida Despiau at zobeida.l.despiau@usace.army.mil (Current Corps of Engineers Attorneys need not submit).

4. Fitness to Practice Statement: A Sworn [notarized] statement from you that your fitness to practice law or conduct as an attorney has never been challenged in any jurisdiction to the best of your knowledge, or if either has been challenged, a Sworn [notarized] statement concerning the facts and circumstances and any other explanation that you consider appropriate may be submitted. As an alternative to a sworn [notarized] statement, a declaration under penalty of perjury may be submitted in the following format: "I declare (or certify, verify, or state) under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the foregoing is true and correct...executed on (date)... (your signature)." (28 U.S.C. 1746). The statement and certificate must be dated within three months of the date the application is submitted. The statement is required to be submitted by all applicants to include attorneys currently appointed to positions under any qualifying authority of the Army ( The Judge Advocate General, Army, General Counsel of the Army, AMC Command Counsel and Chief Counsel, Army Corps of Engineers) (including active duty Army Judge Advocates) (Current Corps of Engineers Attorneys need not submit).

5. References: Must provide at least three (3) reference/ recommendation letters with your application package; references must be familiar with your ability to effectively practice law. (Current Corps of Engineers Attorneys need not submit)

6. Copy of Last three (3) performance appraisals AND Most Recent Notification of Personnel Action SF 50.(Current Federal Employees only).

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

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